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Announcing the winners of the Awards at the International Broadcast Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam, the judges recognised that Ocean Blue’s Talking TV technology represents a major step forward in the way that blind and visually impaired consumers can now access Digital TV.

The technology has been developed to create the world's first accessible technology solution designed to provide speech/talk-based TV programming guides and set up menus. Ocean Blue Software leads the world in this advanced technology development.

Ocean Blue Software worked in conjunction with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) to develop an advanced Text to Speech technology for digital TV Products, with the aim of making the viewing of TV more accessible to those with visual impairment.

Ken Helps, CEO of Ocean Blue Software says “We are delighted to have been acknowledged by the judges of the 2011 CSI Product of the Year Awards for our product. The Ocean Blue team have worked hard to develop and educate the market to advance assistive technology software, and this is a great way of showing how successful the development has been.”

The emerging trend is for this assistive living technology to become a standard application in integrated digital televisions in the next 3 years.

About CSI Awards
Originally established in 2003, the CSI Awards are now in their ninth year and have become one of the most comprehensive and competitive technology awards anywhere in the world, designed to reward technical and product marketing excellence in the cable, satellite, terrestrial broadcasting, IPTV, online/internet video and mobile TV sectors.

The awards are held annually and are designed to recognise exceptional design and innovation in broadcast and media technology, particularly those that offer significant solutions or opportunities.

About Talking TV
Talking TV is built into Ocean Blue’s digital TV software, which has been developed at the company’s Bristol HQ over the last three years. The Talking TV is an advanced text-to-speech technology assisting users that are blind or visually impaired by voicing the programme guide and menu items on the television. It has previously won an IABM Award for Excellence in Innovation. A Talking TV video demonstration can be viewed here to learn more about our innovative, award winning solution.

Multi Gender Voices and Language Support
Consumers can choose between either male or female voices and both can be resident in the Digital TV device. The software also allows for a range of different languages and dialects, including French, German and Spanish.

The product road map includes incorporating web page and book page reading with vocalising technology, which allows for example; web pages to be read and voiced back to the consumer.

It is estimated 10-15% of the world's population could have sight loss, visual impairment, or be effected by dyslexia or similar reading disabilities and would benefit from this assisted living technology. Every 5 seconds one person in the world goes blind. The prevalence of sight loss increases with age, and the world’s population is ageing. There are now more people in the UK aged 60 and above than there are under 18.

About Ocean Blue Software
Ocean Blue Software (oceanbluesoftware.com), based in Bristol and with offices in Hong Kong and Korea, specialises in the development, distribution and support of world-class software solutions, which are incorporated into Digital TV consumer electronics products, present in the Digital Home.

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